Rotary steam generator



Jan. 1, 1929.

' J. V. BLOMQUIST ROTARY STEAM GENERATOR Filed May 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l vwen$ri v I r 0,3410

Jan. 1, 1929.

. 1,697,551 J. V. BLOMQUIST ROTARY STEAM GENERATOR Filed May 15, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 Z7'7 /7far A 7, KZQ/Q/W a/Jf Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

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ROTARY sTEAM GENERATOR.

App ation flea ai 115; 1925, swarm;

is distributed in an annular layer onwthe peripheral interior of'the tubular elements for the purpose of obtainin a uniform temperature overthe whole 'suitrac'e of the tubulax-"elements. To effect this result the velocity of rotation is about 300 revolutionsper minute. a 1 I it is obvious that a uniform temperature of the Whole peripheral surface may "also-be obtained when the tubular elements rotate with such low velocity that the water does not follow the rotation, :the temperature of the peripheral surface becoming *ho-weuer somewhat higherithan in the first named case. 2 The increase or" temperature thus-produced anay however, in adopting an appropriate numb erof revolutions, The keptsufficiently low to prevent impairing lil rekstrength of the material. I 7

Similar steam generators rotating with low' velocity are already tojbe found in the patent literature, for instance in ztheBrit-ish patent specification No. 1218 of the year 1876; As disclosed by this patent :the tubes of the boiler are'fi'l led with water up toabout half, andlthe steam is discha-rged' into :an elongated receptacle'and thence to the points of utilization, At the time said patent was granted, only pressures of a few atmospheres had been utilized, so that the tubes of *theiboiler could be made with a diameter :of sufliciently large size as :to be able to use waterinlet and steam outlet conduits Gi -sufficiently large diameter, this belng' the condition necessary for the proper "control of the level of the Water in the boiler tubes, which control according to the said patent is effected either-manually or automatically. The levels :of water imithe receptacle and in"-the' boi ler tubes are thusahvays at the same height.

The higher the steain pressure the smaller must be the diameter of the boi ler tu bes (for instanceonly 12 inches for lQO atmospheres) so as to be capable to resist thestresses to which the material is s'uhjected. Forthis reason the device according to the cited patent cannot be utilized. 1

"The present invention has for its object to -pr,oi i'de apparatus which permits utilizing, even 'lor'very, high pressures, boiler tubes hayi-i g relatively small diameter and rotattng --e0 ,54e, and in Sweden Jamlaryy29, 21925. i

with such low velocity that the water does 7 not rotate with the tubes, andv to obtain at.

the same time asuflicient difie-rence in height "of the water for the'contro-l of the supply of water. i 7

Two modifications of the invention :areidiagrammatically illustrated in the accompanyingdrawi-ngs. Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the one embodiment and 2 shows :a top plan view of the Salli-16 parts being broken away. Figs. 3 a-nd 4 show in similar respective views another modification.

s Two boiler tubes are shown in the drawing, and the movementof rotation is transmitted wneels 1, which in turn is driven by a rmOlLQT Y )of anyappropriate type, for example, asteam engine. V

Reterring to Flg5.317311d 2 the feed water is fed through "the conduit 2 'toithe receptacle 3, whence it passes to the :boiler tubes 5 of substantially cyiliindnicail shape ith-rough straight no-n-rotatableiconduits4, Ina modifica'tion showni n .F-ig. 3 the one end of the conduits A is bent clownwardly the re- ;spe'c-tive boiler tube 5 and terminates near the lower generatrix of the latter and theother end of :the conduit extending into the receptacle 3 is also lbent downwardly 'but'terininates at a lower level than the end inthe boiller tube. order to obtain the desired .siphon effect the conduits 4 inaust of course be emptied oif air ibetore the boiler is started which may be 'efiected by suitable :means not shown. The *steam i-s discharged through the men-rotatable icond-uigts '6 which areihent input-ands and terminate near the upper :generatrix ofthe boiler tubes The other end of each of the conduits 16 opens into the steam space of the neceptacle 3, "whence the steam $18 discharged to the zpolnts oct' utlllzaition :afiter having previously been superheated if (desired; V

It is obvious that the height of the water level in the boiler tubes depends uzpontheim tensity of the evaporation the :same and :also upon theicross sectional :area of the steam discharge conduits The smaller the said area is the ilargervwilil be the difi'erence in height between the water levels the (boiler tubes at full :and no or .ifeeble evaporation.

v The water level in thewboiler tubes is :ob-

viiously lowest tor the greatest (evaporation, because the yelocity necessary at the em 'ii'ifiillCGiU-Ef the steam into the non'duitsiti and the resistance-10f Tfen] cum in the latter are thenobviously greatestand because the, steam will. then press the water back through the conduits 41- intothe receptacle 3. Thus, by

. giving the conduits 6 and4- proper dimensions, the water level in the boiler tubes may 7 be kept within appropriate'liniits.

To avoid abolling so as to cause a shortage of water in case the evaporation should become too great, the feeding condults 4; may

be provided with larger conduits 8 surrounding the former and being in commumcation with the steam space or the receptacle 3 through the conduit 9. The area of the pipes 6 from the cylinders must, of course,

be chosen so great, that the Water level in the hardest working cylinder, also when.

great differences of evaporation in the different cylinders take place, cannot sink normally under the upper generatrix of the pipe 8. In case the evaporation in acertain cylinder should be extremely great in comparison withthe other cylinders it would be possible that thezwater level in the hardest working cylinder would sink below the said Since thereby a part of the gen'eratrlx. steam is permitted to escape through the opening thus'left free of the annular area between the pipes 7 and 8, theresistance to the escape of the steam from the hardest working cylinder is reduced and then an equilibrium between the water levels is obtained, on account of which fact the water level in the hardestworking cylinder is prevented from remaining lower than the saidupper genera- By this means the outlet area for the steam from the cylinder, in which the water level has sunk below the upper generatrix of the 'pipe 8, is increased. Since the velocity head and the frictional resistance are decreasedln proportion to the increase of the free area of the steam outlet, the water level in the cylin- V der having the greatest efliciency cannot remain lower than said upper generatrix on account ofthe total pressures in the cylinders being balanced.

The purpose of the receptacle 3 is to serve V as an indicator for reading off the water level in the rotating boiler tubes 5 by means of the gauge glass 7. According to the water. level 7 thus read off, the supply of feed water can be regulated in the same manner as in ordinary boilers.

'As the water level-in the boiler tubes decreases when the evaporation increases the temperatureof the peripheral'surface will was obviously also increasein proportionto the evaporation. In order to obtain approximately the same temperature of the periph eral-surface independently of the intensity of the evaporation, the engine 24 which drives the boiler tubes through the intermediaryot a pinion 25 in mesh with one of the gear wheels '1 may be adapted" to revolve at different speeds in such a manner that the speed is increased according to the increase in evaporation, that is to say according to the decrease of the water level in the boiler tubes.

This may becarried into efliect in a known manner by means of a float or the like which. opens or closes the steam supply valve for the steam engine% driving the boiler tubes 5,

whereby the speed of the latter may be respectively increased or decreased. 'An eX- ample of such deviceis shown in 1. A housing v14 .is in communication with the steam space and water space of the receptacle 3 by means of the pipings15 and .16 respectively. Inthe housing depends, on av spring.

17, a' bell 18' having its lower portion immersed in a mercury trap 19. The remainder of space in the housingand also the pipings 15 and 16'are filled with cold water; fore, the water column above thebell always is higher than that underneath the bell and the direction of the arrows through the piping 26 to the steam engine 24 which drivesthe boiler-tubes 5. I When the water level in the receptacle 3rises, whichis the same as an increase in evaporation in the boiler tubes 5,

Therethevalve 21 opens wider the higher the water T level in the receptacle 3 riseson account of the pressure of the higher water column acting upon the bell 18 from underneath. In consequence steamv will pass in proportionally greater degree to thelsteam engine 24 1 whereby its speed and thus that of'the boiler tubes 5 will, be increased. VVhenthe-water in the receptacle 3 decreases, then also the bell 18 will 'move downwardly, thus somewhat closing the valve 21, and consequently diminishing the supply of steam to the engine 24 which therefore will operate slower.

It is finally obvious that great aXialpressu-res' will be produced which should be absorbed'by axial thrust bearings or by a frame provided at the ends of the boiler tubes, and kept together by means of stay rods. To avoid such. contrivances the conduits 6 and 8 .may instead be kept in place by means of a suitable stay including a tension rod .10 se-;

cured to one end of said tube, and to brace rods 10 at theother end. r

'What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A high pressure steam generator. com

prising in combination, a plurality of substantiallycylindrical smooth tubular elements of relativelysmall diameteneach having a non-rotatable steam outlet at the one end thereof and a non-rotatablewater inlet at the other end thereof,.means associated a with each element to rotate thesame, a feed water supply controlling receptacle arranged externally of the tubular elements and partly filled with water, the said water inlet being in Communication with the water space of the controlling receptacle, and external means connecting the steam outlet of each element with the upper space of the controlling receptacle.

2. A high pressure steam. generator com prising in combination, a plurality. of substantially cylindrical smooth tubular elements of relatively small diameter, each having a non-rotatable steam outlet at the one end thereof and a non-rotatable water inlet conduit at the other end thereof, means associated with each element to rotate the same, a

feed water supply controlling receptacle arranged externally of the tubular elements and partlyfilled with water, the said water inlet conduit being in communication with the water space of the controlling receptacle, both ends of said water inlet conduit being bent down and external means connecting the steam outlet of each element with the upper space of the controlling receptacle.

8. A high pressure steam generator com- 7 prising in combination, a plurality of substantially cylindrical smooth tubular elements of relatively small diameter, each, having a non-rotatable steam outlet atthe one end thereof and a non-rotatable water inlet at the other end thereof, means associated with each element to rotate the same, a feed 7 water supply controlling receptacle arranged ments of relatively small diameter, each having a non-rotatable steam outlet at the one end thereof and a non-rotatable water inlet at the other end thereof, means associated with each element to rotate the same, a feed water sup-ply controlling receptacle arranged externally of the tubular elements and partly filled with water, the said water inlet being in communication with thewater space of the controlling receptacle, an external conduit connecting the steam outlet of each element with the upper space of the controlling receptacle, a throttle valve means arranged in said conduit,;a floating device in the controlling receptacle connected to the throttle valve means and adapted to close the latter when.

the water level in the receptacle decreases.

5. A; high pressure steam generator comprising in combination, a plurality of substantially cylindrical smooth tubular elements of relatively small diameter, each having a non-rotatable steam outlet at the one end thereof and'a'non-rotatable water inlet at the other end thereof, means associated with each element to rotate the same, a separate means to govern the speed of the rotate ing means so that its speed may vary indirectly as the height of the water level in the tubes, a feed water supply controlling receptacle arranged externally of the tubular elements and partly filled with water, the said water inlet being in communication with the water space of the controlling receptacle and an external conduit connecting the steam outlet of each element with the upper space of the controlling receptacle. i

6. -A high pressure steam generator comprising in combination,'a plurality of substantially cylindrical smooth tubular elements of relatively small diameter, each having a non-rotatable steam outlet atthe one end thereof and a non-rotatable water inlet at the other end thereof, means associated with each element to rotate the same, a feed 7 water supply controlling receptacle arranged externally of the tubular elements and partly filled with water, the said water inlet being in communication with the water space of the controlling receptacle, an. external conduit connecting the steam outlet of each element with the upper space of the controlling receptacle and stay devices in the interior of each tubular element interconnecting the steam outlet and the water inlet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHAN VIKTOR BLOMQUIST. 

